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Relearning education: why today’s schools need technology

by Dell EMC

Remember when your maths teacher would smugly say: “You won’t have a calculator on you all the time!”? Now, we can unlock the answer to any sum just by unlocking our tablet. Remember walking the halls, weighed down by your brimming backpack? Now, a single device contains more than 10,000 textbooks. Remember chalk smudges on your blazer, or marker stains on your shirt? Now, styluses are more in style.

There’s no doubt that technology has changed the education system forever, for the better – just look at the Youth Sport Trust Class of 2035; a 20-year prediction made possible thanks to the Future Foundation. So if you think that children are becoming less sociable, less intelligent and less prepared for the ‘real world’ by turning to bits and bytes instead of pens and pencils, it’s time to think again.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are empowering students from all around the globe to collaborate using cloud technology. AI is becoming a reality, providing unrivalled immersive learning experiences through virtual-reality headsets, and resources tailored to children’s preferred learning styles and abilities. Apps are allowing students to continue learning at home, or even on holiday. Universities and employers are increasingly seeking candidates and employees with strong IT skills. Technology isn’t just a tool any more… it’s a necessity.

Still, so are teachers – though computers can help them too, offering high-quality training, enhanced lesson planning, easier and more effective pupil assessment and information-sharing, and a way to increase pupils’ interest in every subject.

John Bailey, Director of Education at Dell UK, says: “Teachers are the core of our education system and that will never change. We need them to shape the minds of our children and guide them towards logical, empathetic decision making. However, some change is inevitable and technology can go a long way in improving our school systems.”

So how can we maximise the use of data and devices in our institutions? Dell has the answer. A leading provider of IT solutions designed specifically for education, it’s committed to creating the learner-centric classrooms of the future. The company’s team of 60 educational specialists delivers hardware and software to almost every school in the UK, offering systems that are easy to buy, deploy, use, maintain and scale as needed.

This includes pioneering technologies for pupils, teachers, school leaders, governors, administrators, parents and local communities – from school-wide WiFi and smart printers to connected classrooms and innovative, integrated administration programs.